


Starting Over

by Catheryne (bettythetl)



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2006-01-29
Updated: 2006-04-15
Packaged: 2017-10-23 11:30:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/249827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bettythetl/pseuds/Catheryne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike and Angel came back from Italy and realized that moving on wasn’t necessarily what they needed to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I still say it was your fault, ya tosser. If ya hadn’ come after me when I was gonna go save the Slayer, we would still have the fuckin’ head,” the blond vampire grumbled, looking for someone to blame. Someone that wasn’t _him_ , that is.

“Well, if _you_ had just stayed in LA when I asked you to, then I wouldn’t have had to worry about it, damnit. I would’ve taken the head _and_ Buffy and come home,” Angel snapped losing his last shred of patience after being blamed yet _again_ for the disappearance of the head and the blonde Slayer.

Spike opened his mouth and stepped into Angel’s personal space so they were nose to nose. Well, the blue eyed vampire’s nose to the brunet’s mouth, but that wasn’t the point. Just as he was about to speak, though, the doors dinged open and he growled his frustration before Angel headed out of the lift first. “Gunn, we lost the head. Start preparing the troops for war.”

Gunn looked at Angel a second before saying simply, “Head’s in your office.”

Angel stared, “What?”

As Gunn walked off, he said, “It’s on your desk.”

Sire and Childe looked at one another, then headed into Angel’s office. The blond stopped behind Angel, watching as he went up to his desk and peered at a bag with a note tied to it. Picking up said note, Angel read, his voice deadly quiet, “ ‘With regards, the Immortal.’ ” He then proceeded to tear the note up in his anger, throwing it on the ground and growling out, “You know, I really hate that guy!”

Spike however, wasn’t angry. In fact, he was the opposite of angry. He was _very_ angry. “What’s Buffy thinking? Honestly?” he questioned the dark vampire.

Angel replied snappishly, “She doesn’t really have the best taste in men. Case in point.”

Spike looked up at him indignantly, “Hey! I think I turned out alright.”

“Yeah. Once she got through with you,” Angel quipped, looking back at his Childe.

Spike’s eyebrows rose up as he reminded Angel, “ _I_ wasn’t the one livin’ in alleys rubbin’ rat filth all over my face. If we’re talkin’ projects, you’re the Sistine Chapel.”

Angel spun around to face the younger vampire, “I wasn’t a project.”

“Well, neither was I,” Spike, said, leaning in a bit, his blue orbs boring into Angel’s own chocolate brown ones. They stood like that, in a silent face off for nearly a minute before Angel sat on his desk and crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

Spike was silent for a whole five minutes before his thoughts grew frustrated again and he burst out, “Can’t we just lock ‘er away in a box…where no one could ever touch ‘er, you know, like we did with Pavayne?” It was desperate, he knew, but he was running out of options.

Angel seemed to think on it a moment before saying finally, “I don’t think she’d let us. I mean, she’s pretty strong.”

Spike tried again, “We could do a spell. Some sort of mind control?”

Angel killed that option quickly, “Oh, she’d figure it out. She’s pretty smart.”

Realizing he was beat there, the blond with a quiet “Yeah” sat on Angel’s desk before scoffing softly, “So, what? We just have to live it? Get on with our lives?”

“ ‘Fraid so.”

Spike forced an exhale of breath he didn’t need and said abruptly, “Fine. No problem.” He sniffed, “I was plannin’ on doin’ that anyway.

“Yeah? Me, too,” Angel agreed.

“Actually,” Spike added, “I’m doin’ it right now, as we speak. I’m movin’ on.”

“Moving on,” Angel nodded.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Right now.”

“Movin’.”

About ten minutes passed without either of the vampires who were supposed to be moving on moving or doing anything except sitting. Well, except for the younger of the two. Spike was actually thinking quite seriously of his future. He hated being alone and that seemed to be exactly where he was headed. He couldn’t go to Buffy; she was with the Immortal. He _wouldn’t_ go back to Harmony; that bint’d make him stake her within a week. Or himself. Whichever came first. The blue orbed vampire’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as a thought snuck, unbidden, to the forefront. “Nah…” he whispered aloud. “’e’d never go for it…”

“What?” Angel asked, jolted not so unpleasantly back to the present by Spike’s smooth British voice.

Spike would have blushed if he could as he looked at his Sire before looking away. “Nothing, Sire…” he mumbled, jolting them both back into a familiar memory.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was their annual vacation and this time they had gone to Galway on William’s request. He’d begged and pleaded and done all he could to get his way. He even pouted. That was the clincher, it seemed, for Angelus’d given in to his Favored Childe about a day or so before they had been set to leave for Darla’s original choice.

Needless to say, when they arrived in Galway instead of the small village outside of Westminster, Darla was _not_ happy. She pouted and sulked but it seemed her childe didn’t want his fledge from his side and William wouldn’t go to Darla’s village so Angelus wouldn’t either. (To be honest, though, Angelus hated it there.)

This was not normal behavior for either of them. Angelus would either have forced him for her or William surely would have gone, were he persuaded correctly. She tried to force either one or both things happen. It didn’t work. Furious, Darla sent William from her rooms after they arrived in a tone that brooked no arguments. He nodded and with an anxious glance from Angelus to Darla, he scampered away to his and Angelus’ rooms to wait.

When he got there, he sat on the foot of the bed, thinking. It’d been drummed quite literally into his head that he had something to fear in Darla. She may look like a slip of a blonde with a temper tantrum problem half the time, but she was so much more than that…

Shaking his head to clear it, William gathered his thoughts after a moment and took a few unneeded breaths, having not given up the human habit yet. He went over to the fire, stoking it to life and adding more fuel. That done, he got up from the hearth and put out some cloth and water. He knew he’d need it for when Angelus would be back. It wasn’t like this’d happened often, but he remembered needing a wash down for when he’d returned from meetings with his Grandsire.

Will waited until the sun was almost above the horizon before his thoughts and body’s motion ceased and he fell into a dreamless slumber. It didn’t last very long. He was jolted awake to the sound of the door slamming open and someone stumbling inside. Almost immediately, the intoxicating aroma of Sire’s blood assaulted his senses and he was off the bed like a shot, coming to his Sire’s side to support him.

He half expected to be pushed away like last time, but surprisingly, Angelus only grunted i npain and allowed Will to lead him to the edge of their four poster bed. Once there, he lay Angelus on the soft cover, face down and peeled the torn shirt off the dark haired vampire’s shoulders. Angelus hissed in pain and idly wondered through the pain induced fog in his brain why he hadn’t pushed Will away yet. He gave up thinking as soon as Will’s shaking form was pressed against his side while he washed his Sire’s back. Now and again, the fabric caught on the gouges in Angelus’ skin from Darla’s whip, causing him to hiss out, his pain.

“Shh, Sire,” Will whispered, his voice giving away the tears in his eyes. He’d gotten Angelus beaten again which meant his Sire would no doubt be mad at him. Why else would he not have said a word to him since entering their rooms? It wasn’t the pain because he could handle almost anything Darla gave him. Will couldn’t stand it when his Sire was mad at him. Angelus smelled his boy’s pain on an intake of breath as the blue-eyed fledge licked at a particularly nasty gash to close it.

“What’s the matter, boyo?” he whispered, voice hoarse from pain and forced lack of use. Angelus had told Darla he’d not scream for her again once he knew how much she liked it. Added another beating to his tally after that.

“Nothing, Sire,” Will whispered, glad that vampires couldn’t flush as he turned his head away.

*~*~*~*~*

The memory of the rest of that night brought a glaze to both man’s eyes that night was that of when Angelus had held his childe close after the boy finally gave in and became his. That was the night when, just before the boy fell asleep, that he had whispered the three words Angelus had feared he’d never hear, “I love you…”

“Oh, Will,” Angel breathed and Spike, without conscious thought, leaned over and rested his head on Angel’s shoulder, releasing a gentle sigh.

“Why’d we change, Sire?” the blue eyed one whispered, eyes downcast and looking very much the kicked puppy who always came back for more.

Angel turned to face his boy sitting next to him and looked him over as guilt swamped him. He knew he had done so much damage and it finally hit him how much he really had done. His eyes went wide and soulful as he whispered, “Oh, Spike. I’m so sorry…I-I know you can’t forgive me but, Spike, I am so sorry.”

Spike looked at him a second, saying weakly, “Say it again.” The blond looked up at Angel and the dark-haired vampire melted at the raw vulnerability he saw etched into the face he loved.

“I’m sorry,” Angel whispered, taking the unresisting younger vampire into his arms, repeating the words “I’m sorry” over and over in a mantra until Spike mumbled something against his neck. Angel pulled him out from the safety of his neck, disregarding his former lover’s protests as he asked, “What’d ye say, m’boy?” His brogue from long ago slipped into his words by accident and he felt the blond stiffen in his arms. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he said, “Sorry, Spike. What’d you say?”

Spike tried to push Angel away but Angel just held tighter as Spike said a little louder, “I meant the part when you said my name.”

Angel smiled at his 150 and some change year old childe, gently whispering, “Spike…” Putting two fingers under the blonde’s chin, he lifted his face up, brown eyes boring into blue. “I’m going to kiss you, Spike,” Angel state. Whatever Spike wanted to say was silenced as the dark vampire said, “but only if you want it.”

Spike blinked owlishly at his Sire, taken aback at the fact that he was allowed to choose. Confused? Hell, yeah, he was confused. Angelus never kissed him. Ever. He had a feeling all those years ago that Angelus felt something more than lust for him, but he was just too scared to show it in a kiss. It was apparently too intimate. Now, Spike was not only being told he had some choice in the matter, he was being told he could actually see if reality lived up to his fantasy. He was undecided. He had vowed to move on and he was being asked to move on with the one that he had ever truly wanted. What should he do?

Angel, for once, wasn’t the undecided one. He wanted Spike, needed him even, but if he needed to, he’d convince his boy to _be_ his boy again. He’d be kind and gentle or the sarcastic sparring partner Spike had become used to. Whatever it to, no matter how tasking, Angel vowed that he would be whatever his Childe needed.

And apparently, Spike decided what he wanted because he moved to sit on Angel’s lap, wrapped his arms around his neck and for the first time in his unlife, Spike kissed his Sire.

 ** _~End Part One~_**


	2. Chapter 2

Was Angel was surprised that it took that short of a time for Spike to decide what he wanted to do? Not really, no. His course of action, however, did surprise the older vampire a bit. Not wanting to give Spike the wrong impression by not responding, which it seemed like he was already doing, Angel put an arm about his boy’s waist and wound his free hand into his hair, holding him closer. With a gentle sound, all the tension melted from Spike’s body and he practically melted against Angel. Now, _this_ is what he had wanted to do for so long. All the fighting and the yelling at each other, this was all he had wanted to do whenever their arguments ended with them in one another’s faces. He just didn’t know if Angel wanted it.

Now that it seemed he did, Spike wasn’t gonna waste it. A thought occurred to him, though, and he pulled back reluctantly. “Look, Angel,” he began, “I do want this, but I’m gonna let ya know right now, this ain’ gonna be like ‘Gelus ‘n William. I won’ bend over when the mood strikes ya and I won’ be at your beck and call. I will be your partner in crime. Just a figure o’ speech, luv,” he said in amusement to Angel’s look, “I will help you, but you’re gonna hafta trust me. No more o’ this sneakin’ around bit. Whatever you’re doin’, ya gotta let me in on it.”

Angel listened while Spike was talking and sighed inwardly. He knew something like this was gonna come up. He just didn’t know it would happen so soon. I mean, they had just decided (kinda) that they were going to move on with each other and now this…He must’ve said that out loud because that familiar defiance crept into the blue orbs of his Childe and he tried to move off his lap. Well, Angel was having none of that. “Look. I know that did not sound right, but, just hear me out. I have some things that I _can’t_ tell you. Things that, if you knew, would only hurt you and drive us away from each other again. I’m not saying we shouldn’t start over and get to know each other again and see where this goes, I’m just saying that I will trust you, I will be your ‘partner in crime’ but I cannot tell you everything.”

Spike nodded slightly, thinking that Angel would say something like that. “I know ya have some things that ya can’t tell me, Angel, but the one’s you can, do you promise that you’ll tell me?” He had to get this figured out if that kiss that they shared was going to go nearly as far as he thought it had started to. If there was no trust, what was the point?

The brunet leaned in slightly, hugging his Childe close as he whispered, “I promise.”

If Spike wanted to resist, he didn’t. He burrowed into Angel’s arms and nodded against his neck where Angel had put his head. “Then that’s good enough for me,” he whispered. They weren’t sure exactly why they were whispering, but maybe in the back of their minds they thought that if they had spoken even a decibel louder, it would have broken the spell that seemed to have come over them.

“Angel..”

“Spike..”

They laughed softly. “You first,” Spike whispered.

“No, you,” Angel said.

“I…Well, I don’t remember what I was gonna say…” Spike chuckled faintly. “Bloody memory…”

“Ah, it comes with age,” Angel replied.

Spike rolled his eyes, “Yeah, you’d know that, wouldn’t ya, old man?”

Angel laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners gently while they sparkled with amusement, “Course I would, you English runt.”

“Hey!” Spike cried, feigning indignation. In truth, he didn’t mind their bickering. Everyone always said that it was a cover for ‘feelings just below the surface’. At the time, they’d just scoffed. Or fought some more. Didn’t really matter to them what they did as long as they were near one another.

A tiny smile crossed Spike’s face then faded as he thought about something. “Uhm…Angel…Listen. I kinda gave up my rights to my apartment when I gave Lindsey the ol’ ‘eave ‘o and I don’t really have a place to stay so..”

Angel nodded, “Well…I suppose you can stay at my place for a bit. But only until you find your own home.”

Spike fought the smile the threatened to emerge as he nodded solemnly, “Alrighty. Lead the way, _old man_.” He smirked faintly.

Angel let a part of his own smile show through as he said, “Of course, _English runt_.” They tried to keep from laughing and they nearly did it. They stood tall and made it to the elevator, waited for it to arrive and then got inside. Riding up to Angel’s penthouse, they made it to the kitchen and blood was warming for them both before they burst out laughing. A chuckle or two escaped before then, some grins and shaking heads, too. That was granted though.

Glad that they didn’t need to breathe, but still panting after they finished laughing, Spike and Angel smiled at each other before taking their respective mugs of blood and heading into Angel's living room. They sat down in companionable silence and drank their blood. Spike thought something was missing from his and said so. "Oh, really?" Angel replied. "And what would that be? Little mini marshmallows?"

Spike shot a glance at Angel and looked sheepishly down at his mug of blood before taking another sip of it, refusing to comment. Angel's eyes widened before he pulled a face. "Yuck."

"Oh, come on! Ever heard the phrase 'Don't knock it till ya try it,' mate?" Spike said, indignant at his favorite garnish to his meals being picked on.

"Yes, I have, Spike, but I am most definitely going to knock that and most definitely not going to try it," Angel said emphatically, making a big show of taking a sip from his marshmallow-free blood.

Spike just shook his head at his Sire and finished the rest of his meal in one gulp then got up to put his mug in the sink without rinsing it out. Which Angel noticed.

"Rinse that out, Spike," Angel said.

Spike rolled his eyes, mumbling, "Anal-retentive poofter…" under his breath, even as he moved to do as he'd been bidden.

Angel noticed this and smiled slightly to himself as he watched Spike. Maybe his boy had been the reason that he'd gone with Buffy. She reminded him so much of the blond. That was one of the similarities. She was fiery, stronger than most gave her credit for but oh so vulnerable when hit in just the right places. One being her heart and another her pride.

It was the same with Spike. The main thing, though was that one was the replacement and always would be. Angel realized that now. Buffy had been a distraction, a replacement for what he couldn't have there and then. His boy was gone from him. Had been since he'd left in China and hadn't looked back. And then the blue eyed hellion that he'd steeled himself against seeing ever again wound up in Sunnydale looking for a cure for his Dru. And then, well, as they say, the rest is History.

The object of Angel's brooding session came to stand in front of him and peered down at him, his scarred eyebrow cocked in amusement, "Brooding again, Peaches?"

Angel rolled his eyes and playfully wrapped his arm about the back of Spike's knees in an attempt to get him to kneel down or something so they'd at least be eye level (He was supposed to be the taller one, damnit!). That was a mistake. Spike knew what his Sire was trying to do and was trying his damnedest so it wouldn't happen. Needless to say, Angel's plan didn't end up like he'd thought it would. Where it did end up, though, was with Spike in his lap and still looking down into his eyes. Although, this time, Spike's eyes were wide with question and uncertainty, not like the amusement that had glittered in their blue depths a moment ago.

This could have gone one of two ways. Spike could have gotten off Angel's lap and rocketed to the other side of the room, trying very hard not to show that he had been affected by their proximity. Or he could have jumped away, angry at his Sire and himself. The little blond vampire did neither of those things. Instead, he brought a pale hand up to his Sire's cheek, gently stroking along the strong jaw line tenderly. All the while, Spike looked into Angel's eyes and when he was sure that his Sire was paying attention to him completely, he felt time slow down. Keeping their gazes locked, they couldn't rightly tell who moved first. Maybe it was Spike. Maybe it was Angel. Either way, they met in the middle, lips pressing together in what could be considered a chaste kiss to anyone watching.

It was anything but. Spike tore his lips from his Sire's with a gasp, wide blue eyes colored with surprise and the beginnings of lust. Angel knew that his own expression mirrored that of his Childe's because that was truly the only place that he could see his reflection. In his Childe's eyes. Angel looked his boy over and Spike dropped his eyes under the intense scrutiny before raising them once more and peering at his Sire through half-lidded eyes.

Slowly, as if to not frighten a skittish animal, Angel wound his arms around Spike's waist, resting his fingertips of each hand at the small of the younger vampire's back. Said vampire allowed the touch, leaned into it in fact when Angel softly stroked where his hands lay.

Memories were evoked in both of them by this simple touch and Spike finally had the courage to do now what he'd wanted to do for a century. Looking into his Angel's deep chocolate eyes, Spike whispered, "Why did you leave me, Sire?"

Angel's dead heart constricted almost painfully as he saw the deep seated pain in his boy's eyes. He had put that pain and fear of abandonment there when he'd left all those years ago without even so much as a goodbye. Lowering his gaze for a second, he said just as softly, "I thought you would hate me. Darla had. When she found out about my soul, she was disgusted. She threw me out. I turned to Dru. Dru wouldn't look at me. She said that she couldn't, that my new 'treasure' was too bright for her to stand. She told me Miss Edith had said to not trust me anymore, that I wasn't her Daddy anymore." Here he looked up at Spike, his boy, his Will and said with tears shining in his chocolate orbs, "I couldn't bear the thought of you being disgusted with who I was. Will, I'm so sorry…"

Spike looked down at him in disbelief. "You…You thought I would be disgusted….You thought that I would hate you, that I would just turn you out?! You were my Sire! I loved you with every fiber of my existence…." He looked down and away, tears forming in his own eyes as he asked another question, "Do you know what hurt me the most about when you left?"

Angel had no reply to this so said nothing, merely tightening his hold on Spike and stroking more firmly at the small of his back to encourage him to go on. Spike took the hint and looked up at Angel with tears slowly making their way out of his eyes, "You never gave me the chance..." He must have caught Angel's perplexed look for he elaborated, "You never even gave me the chance to show you that I loved you. I would have gone with you. Wherever it is you had gone. I would have left Dru, Darla and everything behind…I would have followed you to the end of time…" Tears now stained his voice along with his face and Angel's heart broke just a little bit more.

"Oh, Little One…" Angel whispered, using an old nickname that had not passed his lips in nearly two hundred years. He'd had no idea that his Will had felt like this. _Well, how could you?_ his mind whispered. _You never gave him the chance…_ While his mind berated him, Spike's mask slowly crumbled and all that was left was what he truly was, a heartbroken Childe who needed his Sire and wanted him back. And Angel was all too happy to give him back his Sire. Tightening his arms around his boy, Angel held him close to his chest, tucking Spike's head into the hollow of where neck met shoulder on the darker vampire's body.

At this show of comfort and affection, Spike's mask finally shattered. His quiet tears of before were gone, replaced by hitching sobs, coming from deep within his soul and Angel held him through it all, when his tears reached their peak, when his tears dried up completely and finally when his boy fell into an exhausted sleep, tired and worn from finally letting everything go.

Holding his Will close to his body, Angel carried the sleeping form into his bedroom, laying him gently onto the sheets before stripping both his own and Spike's clothing from his body. He then placed them neatly on the top of his dresser. Allowing himself a small snort of amusement, Angel could just hear Spike's voice in his head calling him an anal poof when he straightened out the piles of clothes to look organized.

Turning back to the bed, Angel just couldn't hold the soft gasp of wonder at the sight before him. Spike lay on his bed, curled around Angel's favorite pillow, just a tangle of milky white limbs made all that much brighter by the light of the full moon peaking in through the half open blinds. A small smile gracing his features, Angel crept onto the bed behind his boy, moving him so that the sheets covered them both. Taking Spike into his arms and nuzzling gently into the hair at the nape of his neck, Angel was both pleased and surprised when Spike snuggled back closer into his embrace. Giving a soft sigh, Angel joined his Will in sleep, praying to a god he no longer believed in that the morning would not come at all.

 **  
_~End of Part Two~_   
**


	3. Chapter 3

Spike woke up in a cold bed the next morning, curled up on his right side, holding onto a pillow. _That's odd..._ he thought musingly. _I don' have a bloody bed. Why am I..._ His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as memories of last night came back to him and hit him with all the subtlety of a mad truck. He realized that the pillow he was currently clutching for dear unlife was Angel's. His scent was all over. He took in the cold bed, his own clothes alone on Angel's dresser then rolled over to stare at the clock. And immediately regretted it. "Damnit!" he cursed softly as he jumped out of the bed and ran into the bathroom to take a shower.

The blond vampire was supposed to have been in a meeting with Angel and his pet humans in about a half hour from now. While he was soaping up his hair with his Sire's poofy shampoo, he froze as he realized exactly what he was doing. He was rushing to get to a meeting he didn't even care about with the vampire who had left him to wake up cold and alone that morning. "Damnit!" he cursed for the second time that morning as the soap from his shampoo got into his eyes, stinging madly.

As Spike squeezed his eyes shut against the pain and tried to flush the water out at the same time, he mentally cursed anal-retentive poofters who had poncy shampoo that stung like a bitch when it got into your eyes. As if by thinking about him, you could summon him, said anal-retentive poofter stepped into the shower and pressed himself up against his Childe's naked back, he himself lacking proper attire for anywhere else but the bathroom and the bedroom. Spike tensed slightly. He thought Angel had been gone.

"Let me help you out with that," Angel said, smiling slightly. He waited for Spike's acquiescence and it came when the tense muscles loosened in front of him. Turning Spike around, Angel stole a quick kiss before tilting his boy's head back under the water, massaging his scalp to get the soap out. "Close your eyes, Will," he said and Spike did as he was bidden still, somewhat surprised that Angel had not only snuck up on him but that he was still here. After washing his eyes out thoroughly, Angel set out soaping down the rest of the pale body before him, not lingering where he shouldn't longer than he should and being honestly nice enough to wash Spike down. When he was done, the brunet stepped out of the shower, shut it off and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Spike just stood in the shower, still kinda in shock. Angel noticed this with amusement and snapped his fingers in front of the blond's face. "Hello? Are the lights on but no one's home?" he asked, laughing his arse off in his head when Spike's eyes jerked to his at that statement.

Grabbing the towel held out to him, Spike studied Angel through narrowed eyes. _Okay...Who is this, why is he wearing Angel's body and where in nine hells is the poof?_ Angel saw all of these emotions flit across the face he'd studied about half the night as it was peaceful and lax in sleep and smiled slightly. "Want some breakfast?" Angel asked before deciding to take his leave from the bathroom.

Because he left so abruptly, Spike didn't get the chance to say yes or no, so, grumbling, the blond dried off and stepped into his clothes from the night before. Wrinkling his nose, Spike decided to make a trip to his flat later that day. He made his way over to the kitchen where Angel stood against the counter, sipping a mug of blood while another heated in the microwave. The younger vampire opened his mouth to say something but the buzzer dinged and Angel took out the blood, handing it to Spike and effectively stopped him from saying what he was about to.

Spike sniffed the blood. _Hn. Smells good. Wonder if the poof put otter in it again._ So, on that thought, Spike downed a mouthful of the warmed blood. Then he almost immediately gagged it back out in surprise. It was human. Angel gave him human blood. Raising questioning eyes to his Sire's, he saw a glint there he hadn't noticed before. "Angel?" he asked slowly. "What's going on? Why'd you just give me fuckin' human blood?"

A smirk was his only answer as Angel finished off the rest of his blood. Looking over at Spike's where the vampire had set it only a moment ago, Angel cocked his head to the side curiously, saying, "Wassa matter, dontcha like it?"

That sealed it in Spike's mind. His eyes widened as recognition flooded them, making him stagger back a few steps until he backed up into the counter. As the other vampire stalked towards him, he suddenly took in his appearance. Wine colored button down, black undershirt, leather boots and, oh fuck, black leather pants…"Keep away from me, Angelus," Spike said, hoping to anyone who could hear him out there that his voice didn't quiver like he thought it had.

Well, whoever was out there must have been out to lunch when that request was made because Angelus just laughed at Spike and swaggered over to his Childe, enjoying the fear and confusion that was pouring off of him in waves. "What's the matter? Not glad to see your Sire again? Thought this was what you wanted, roller boy," Angelus taunted, reminding Spike of a time he'd rather not remember.

Anger flashed in those blue eyes and Spike hissed through clenched teeth, "You are not my Sire. You are nothing like the Sire that I knew. You are starkers from the bloody word go. Hell, Angel's more of a Sire than you are, mate."

"Ah, Angel. Put up a jolly good fight when I took control while you were sleeping, boy. There he was, watching your pretty little face while you slept and for one little split second, he felt so happy thinking about the future you two were gonna share that, whoops! Soul-boy took a vacation. But this is your lucky day," Angelus stated, an evil smirk flitting across his face.

"Oh? And just why might that be?" Spike stated, very aware of the counter at his back and the vampire from hell (literally) standing in front of him.

Angelus stepped even closer to Spike and leaned in to his ear, whispering, "Because you get to be my boy again. Think of it, never having to play nice with the humans again, not needing to deal with them. We can leave here and leave a bloody trail in our wake." As he finished, he roughly took the lobe in front of his lips into his mouth, biting hard enough to draw blood and suckling the red fluid.

Spike yelped slightly before he could stop himself and started to melt into his Sire's hands before he realized, this wasn't his Sire. Angel was his Sire. Angel. Spike let out a wounded sound and pushed against Angelus. Surprisingly enough, Angelus gave way and landed against the counter across from Spike with a thud. Surprise flickered across his face for a brief space in time and then seething anger replaced it, his face stormy as he looked over his Childe. The boy was tensed and ready to pounce again. Angelus smirked. "What're ya gonna do boy? Stake me? If you do, Angel will never come back," he stated, his arrogance once again being his worst fault.

Spike smirked back, "No, 'Gelus. I won't stake ya." The blond sauntered over to Angelus and coyly touched a button on his shirt, peering up at the older vampire through lowered lashes. "I'd never do that to ya. Yanno that, right?" he asked, pitching his voice to just the right amount of submissiveness for Angelus' liking. Angelus nodded and Spike leaned forward, suckling on where Angelus' pulse would have been, were he alive, and Spike reveled in the strangled moan that escaped his lips. Slowly winding his hand into Angelus' hair, the younger vampire stroked his scalp, getting him to wind down. When Angelus turned his head to the side slightly to give Spike more access to his throat but putting a hand on the back of Spike's neck to let him know not to bite, the blond knew it was time. Tightening his hand in the hair twined around his fingers, Spike slammed Angelus' temple into the handle on one of Angel's upper cabinets hard enough to daze the older vampire. Another good knock on the head had the thick-headed Mick out like the proverbial light.

As Spike watched him slump to the floor, a smirk graced his features and he said, "So much for bein' your boy again, eh, dumbass?"

Going over to the phone, Spike dialed the first number that sprang to mind and waited for them to answer, glancing behind him now and again to see if Angelus was awake yet. Soon, a tired sounding Wesley answered the phone.

"Hello?" the groggy voice said.

"Watcher. Look, I have no time to explain. Angel lost his soul last night. I played the submissive Childe to Angelus and knocked him out, but he's in the kitchen now and he's…" Spike trailed off as he looked over at the kitchen. Angelus wasn't there.

"Spike? Spike!" Wesley called anxiously over the phone.

Spike barely heard him. A hand had clamped itself on his wrist and his blue eyes followed the hand to a wrist and up the arm it was attached to, all the way up to broad shoulders and a face with dark eyes blazing in silent anger. A soft squeak left his lips and he said, "Wes…" right before Angelus extracted the receiver easily from his hand and put it on the cradle oh so gently. Looking down at his Childe, Angelus let a sneer curl about his mouth as he said, "Didja really think that would keep me down, boy?"

Spike didn't have the voice to answer so Angelus grabbed the other wrist and pinned it to the back of the couch where Spike was sitting. Leaning down to his Childe's face, Angelus' sneer widened. His boy was already quaking. Well, that wouldn't do. He'd gone soft. "Angelus please…" Spike whispered, hoping that maybe if he tried the submissive act again, he could be let off easily.

No such luck.

Angelus just laughed, seeing right through his ploy. "Please, what, boyo? Please let you hear all the things I'm gonna do to you, warn you before I do them? Nah. Don't think so. But I will tell you one thing. You will never. Ever. Get your precious Angel back. Soul-boy's gone on a permanent vacation and nothing will bring him back, so you'd best get that thought out of that pretty little head of yours," Angelus stated, smirking that patent smirk of his.

Spike knew he shouldn't trust Angelus' words. He knew that he shouldn't listen. Should realize that it was just to get him pliant, lose hope. But he didn't. As soon as he heard the words nothing will bring him back, that little tiny flame of hope in his eyes flickered and died. When Angelus saw this, he nearly crowed his triumph. He leaned in and looked Spike in the eyes, saying softly, "It's alright, boy. I'll take care o' ya. Make ya mine again and those pet humans of Angel's will just be minions. It'll be just like the old days."

And that was…the worst thing to say. Angelus barely had time to register the fact that not only life but hatred had returned to the lifeless blue orbs he had been staring into moments before when he was across the room, his own eyes wide as he reached his hand back to touch his head. That had been the first thing to connect with the far wall as Spike threw him away from himself. And it had been hit the hardest it seemed for when Angelus pulled his hand back around, he saw the blood on it. "You're gonna pay for that, Will," Angelus growled.

Spike smirked. "Oh, and how is that? Considering I ain't Will and I 'aven' been for a very long time," he asked, letting his demon out to play. In all the times that Angelus had tried to beat him down and the darker vampire had nearly lost was when he had let only a little of his true demon show. Now, though, Spike had nothing to lose. Angel was gone and so was their new budding relationship. Angelus should have known that telling Spike Angel was gone and that they could go back to the way it was in the old days was a mistake.

Apparently, he only now was realizing the error of his ways. He stood up, hands held up in supplication, "Now, Will, I mean ya no harm."

Spike snorted, "There're two things wrong with that statement, mate." He came across the room so fast that Angelus didn't register it until he was pinned up against the wall by his throat. Spike smirked and hissed at him venomously, "One: You sure as fuck mean me harm so cut the soddin' bull shit and two: I.am.not.Will!" Spike spat in Angelus' face and backed off across the room to stare at the vampire he had once called Sire.

 _Well, now. Things are really starting to get interesting. Will this vampire is not. He fights back. A lot better than last time, I might add...Granted, he was stuck in a wheelchair then._ Angelus allowed an outward smirk at this thought which widened as he saw Spike tense further at his sudden show of expression. _That's it, boyo. Get ready for me then fail like you always do._

Except, that's what Spike wasn't going to do. He wasn't going to fight Angelus. Not again. Letting himself let go a little, Spike relaxed his hold on his control, bowing his head as if in submission and casting his eyes toward his boots. Angelus cocked his head to the side as if confused. Spike was submitting, it seemed, but why? The darker vampire slowly walked forward, tensed and ready for anything. Ready for everything else but William the Bloody looking at him through Spike's blue orbs. A gasp tore out of his throat before he could stop it and William smirked cruelly. "'S right. Guess who's back, _Daddy_?"

 _  
**~End Part Three~**   
_

**Author's Note:**

> This story is not yet finished, and I'm not sure if it will ever be. I've been poked a bit by my Angel!Muse, so we'll see.


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